Subject: [SocialistWorker.org] Solidarity from Cairo to NYC
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View original article here:
http://socialistworker.org/2012/07/09/solidarity-from-cairo-to-nyc
Statement
======== SOLIDARITY FROM CAIRO TO NYC ========================================
July 9, 2012
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New York City's utility giant Con Edison has locked out 8,500 utility workers
after they refused to accept management's demand for drastic concessions. By
imposing the lockout in the midst of a sizzling heat wave, management showed
it is willing to gamble with the well-being of both residents and replacement
workers [1] to defeat the union.
The Egyptian Federation of Independent Trade Unions (EFITU), which represents
some 1.4 million workers across Egypt, emerged shortly after the downfall of
dictator Hosni Mubarak. The EFITU has boldly defied the long tradition of
state-run unions in Egypt in order to better fight for the rights of workers.
The EFITU issued the following statement in support of Con Ed workers on July
6, 2012.
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THE EGYPTIAN Federation of Independent Trade Unions (EFITU) follows with
concern the news that Con Edison locked out 8,500 members of Utility Workers
Union of America (UWUA) Local 1-2 in New York. This is an attempt by the
company to impose worse and unjust conditions on its workers with the
expiration of the current contracts.
The company insists on imposing big concessions on both health care and
pensions, and is demanding that workers pay for safety equipment required by
federal law.
Con Ed is a huge private utility, covering tens of millions of consumers in
the New York metropolitan region. There have been recent, well-documented
reports to the effect that the company has been spending money on lobbying
and not paying any taxes from 2008 to 2010, instead getting $127 million in
tax rebates--despite making a profit of $4.2 billion and increasing executive
pay by 82 percent to $17.4 million in 2010 for its top five executives.
Even though the union has shown a significant amount of flexibility and
moderation, offering to continue working under the terms of its expired
contract (especially because of the heat wave which the city is currently
experiencing), Con Ed insisted it would only allow the workers to continue
working if the union pledged to give seven days' notice before going out on
strike, which the union refused to do.
Con Ed seems adamant to use the heat wave that will leave New Yorkers more
vulnerable to brownouts and blackouts as a weapon to pressure the workers and
their unions into accepting an outright and unjust attack on their work
conditions.
The union rightly questions Con Ed's decision to bring in replacement workers
at a time when residents fighting the heat could lead to greater pressure on
Con Ed's system. Replacement workers currently performing the jobs out in the
field are either supervisors who haven't performed fieldwork in years or
outside replacement workers, some of whom are fresh out of trade school.
The EFITU considers this behavior on the part of Con Ed to be irresponsible
and very dangerous. In addition to threatening thousands of workers with
dismissal and adding to the ranks of the unemployed, the company is
endangering consumers in great need of its services in a period likely to
witness an increase in utility emergencies. The company is also endangering
the lives of non-qualified replacement workers.
In addition, the greedy behavior of Con Ed is placing unnecessary pressure on
public finances during a period of huge economic difficulties. Because Con
Edison locked out its workforce, those workers will be eligible to file for
unemployment insurance benefits seven days after the lockout began.
The EFITU expresses its total solidarity with our American coworkers and
comrades. It urges the American government to exercise its leadership by
preventing these dangers and intervening in favor of just labor contracts and
the preservation of workers' legal rights.
It also calls upon unqualified replacement workers, supervisors and trainees
to disobey Con Ed orders and refuse to replace their colleagues. Agreeing to
do so is endangering their lives as well as citizens' lives, and represents
an attempt to break the will of their colleagues and impose unjust working
conditions on them all.
The solidarity campaign within the American labor movement with UWUA Local
1-2 is a source of joy and inspiration for EFITU. We join this campaign, as
we consider that workers' solidarity not only at the national but also the
international level is the way that workers can gain their rights in the face
of savage capitalism and multinational companies.
Long live the struggle of Con Ed workers!
Workers of the world, unite against the injustice and tyranny of savage
capitalism!
*Egyptian Federation of Independent Trade Unions*
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[1] http://socialistworker.org/2012/07/05/battle-heats-up-at-con-ed
